Lighting system fob toy locomotives



Oct. 24, 1933. E BQISSELIER Re. 18,981

LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR TOY LOCOMOTIVES Original Filed July 21, 1932 Q 2 Shets-Sheet l Oct. 24, E D BO|SSEL|ER Re.

LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR TOY LOCOMOTIVES Original Filed July 21, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIT I .Heretofore, locomotives using a spring motor:

Reissued Oct. 24, 1933 UNITED S,

PATENT OFFICE- LIGHTING srsmiuroa TOY LOCOMOTIVES" Earl. 10. .Bois selier, Chicago, 111., assignorio porationof Illinois AmericanFlyerj Mfg,,Co., Chicago, 111;, a corg Original No. 1.914323, dated June 13,'19 33',,Serlal, No. 623,901, July 2 1, 1932. Application for res issue Ju1 -1, 1933. seri i No. 678,700

6 Claims. (01. 46 18) This invention relates to toy locomotives or cars and more particularly to a novel improvement' for lighting a locomotive using a spring motor. for propulsion means.

or propulsion means otherthan an electric motor could not use a headlight because no means has been 'contemplated'for providing power to illumihate the headlight;

" --Accordingly, a primary object of the invention iS..'t0 provide a headlight in a locomotive and means for illuminating the. headlight at the will:-

of the operator. To provide this-illuminating means. itis'proposed to place a small battery of the dry cell type within the cab of the locomotive. orthe body of the. tender or a car in the train; The operator can, at will, shut off or turn on-xthe current from this-battery to provideilluminating means to the headlight by means of a:wire connecting the headlight and battery, said:

wire .to be provided with a switching'arrangement, or other means,- for disconnecting it: from:saidi battery. a V '.In connection with the foregoing, an important teaturer-of the invention resideszin providing a no'veIunit for mounting the battery whereby the;

same can be mounted on a caror locomotive or on ai'enderof a toyauto or truck, or on the seat of. a toy auto or truck, or to anypartof'the F chassis. or 'body or a toy auto. or truck, according to the demands of manufacturing process there-f bye to: provide a source of electrical energy for lights; .or lamps. t Completed battery: holder units.

may-beeasily stocked and with-slight extralabor I incorporated in the particular toy, thus allowingan easy liquidation of. stockjalready on .hand by addingithe. feature o1 electricv headlights...

- A' further object of the invention is-to-constructa simple; practical and reliable lighting system particularly adapted to toy use because of its-ruggedness and simplicity; which not only renders it. economical to manufacture, but better ableto, withstand the rough usage towhich cars. and locomotives of; this character are usually subifected. i I

With, the above andjother objects in view, which-willmore readily appear as: the nature of the invention isrbetterunderstood, the same con'-, sists ingthe novel construction, combinationand:-

arrangement of parts: hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and, claimed;

A. preferred and practical embodiment of th invention is shown in the accompanying drawingsinv which:--

J ilis a side elevation of. a locomotiveand xnalclip.

Figure 5 is a plan view of-"the trminal clipelevation of thewire termi shown in Figure '4 having its ends moved together in full lines to illustrate the manner in which it' may be appliedto the battery terminal. 1

broken" 360 Figure dis a diagrammatic view illustrating the circuit involved.

V Figure 7 is -a detail vertical 'sectional view of U i the lamp socket. construction for the; headlight; "Similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several figures of the dr-awingsf I f I r As will be'apparent from the drawings and the" objects of: the invention above stated, a. dis-' tinctive feature of "the present invention 'is to provide a toy train using a spring "motor or other non-electrical propulsion-means with anelectrical' lighting system that will compare" favorably with the lighting system at present in use on toy trains using electrical means for propulsion and supplied witha constant flow of electrical energy'fro'm a transformer or other means connected with an electrical circuit. An electrical lighting system' on a non-electric train has very desirable features inasmuch 'asit adds the desirable feature of animation incident to electrical trainsto a non electric outfit, thus providing users o f-trains in rural districts where electrical energy is not available, with the opportunity of observing anden joying the effects of electric 'J headlights on mechanical trains simply by using a two rail system instead tr athree'rail system. "Thus, -"it will be apparent that the present invention not only provides a very desirable feature for trains without electrical propulsion, but also brings very desirable educational featuresto users otherwise nothaving access to proper sources "of, commercial current or thejneces'sary equipment to: operate an electrical train, e

Referring to the drawings; Adesignates a toy locomotive having a spring motor which is wound by the-key B. Thelocomotive has coupled therewith infthe conventional manner a trailer or tender-C which serves, in the present instance, as;

i av carrier for; the novel battery holding device D which-receives the battery-E. that furnishes electrical energy to the headlight or lamp F on the locomotive. v v I Referring first to the features of the invention in connection with the locomotive it will be observed that the front end of thelocomotiveis provided with an opening 1 for receiving a lamp socket 2'which includes the usual metallic shell for receiving the plug of the lamp and an insulated center plug contact 3 all of which is car ried by the bracket 4 suitably mounted in the body of the locomotive by the'fastem'n'g 5. The

, shell of the lamp socket is grounded to the metallic bracket 4 and, therefore'gprovides the' ground circuit of the lamp. The insulatedcenter plug contact'j3 has secured thereto the wire 6 which leads back through the hollow body of the locomotive and is eyeleted or otherwise'connected to the eye 7 of a connector clip 8. This connectorclip preferably consists of a coiled body portion 9 having the ends or arms 10 and 11, the latter being provided with the eyeiwhich receives-the ends of the wire 6. As will be apparent from Figures 4 and -5, particularly the-latter figure; by

squeezing the arms 10-and 11 together as shown in full lines in Figure 5; the convolutions of the coiled body 9'imay, be separatedto facilitate-the placing of the connection over the battery-ter-Lj minal 12 (Figure 1)'. *Thus, in this way, the center tive terminal-of the battery E.

.Referring further'to ,thebattery holder, D for I plug of the lamp may be connected with the posi-; a r .l a

receiving thebattery E, it will be observed from Figure 3 that. the holder comprises a body strip' 13 having the uptumed ends 14 and Hand alsoformed with the upwardly extending spring side, flanges or clip portionslfiand 1'7. The body'strip 13 may 'be' providedjwith openings 13 t o receive fasteners for securing; the holder to the body of the toy. 'Upon placing the battery E in the holder between the end members 14 and 15 and the side members 16 and 17, it will be apparent a from Figures 1 and 2 that the negative terminal 18 of the battery E willbe placed incontact with the upturned end 15 of the battery holder; Thus, the

* battery holder being metallic and connected to the metal toy" thenegative terminal 18 ;of"t he battery will be included in the ground circuit for the lamp.. In that 'connection reference may be' made to Figure 6 which illustrates a diagram of the circuits involved and from which it will be observed that-the ground circuit-is definitely completed through the wheels W, of the tender,

the rails R and the wheels .W'- of the locomotive, allparts of the locomotive-and tender-being of e metal so that completion of the circuit is assured.

The arrangement described permits of disconnecting the engine and'tender by disconnecting the-terminalclip 8 from the battery E,"an d also when the locomotive and tenderare coupled per mits the user of thetrain to utilizethe connector, as a switch for turning on and oil the headlightof the locomotive by connecting and disco nnecting the clip.,-

the illustration shown-the battery holder D and thebatteryE maybe concealed by" the cover G (Figure '1), which jis intended to, simulate coal in the tender." Replacement of the battery is provided for by removing the coverG and removing the old batteryand inserting a new one in the'holder. Ineach instance, of course, it will be understood that one terminal of the battery is groundedto the holder which is'in turn grounded to the body of the toy and the metal' rails. the rails being relied upon as the primary conductor for the ground circuit due to the fact that the coupling between the tender and the meeting the other terminal of the lamp with 7 other terminal of the battery; v

ingto'the desire :of theuser.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent? to those skilled in the art, and it will of course'be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1 1. In ,atoy mechanical railway, the combination-with a toy locomotive inclusive .of a boiler simulating body, and a tender flexibly and detachably coupled thereto, an electrical lamp 'carriedby the front end of thelocomotiveibody as a headlight therefor, a battery holder, fitted within thetender, a battery cell mounted in .said battery holder and havingfa projecting terminal and a single flexible insulated conductor vwire connected at one end to one terminal of the lamp and-carrying at its other end a frictional conne'ctor adapted to have a slip engagement with said projecting battery terminal.

2. A i-mechanically operated toy railway in-'' cluding a-toy locomotive having a boiler simu-" lating body, a tender-adapted to be coupled to said-boiler simulating body, metallic means on which the locomotive and tender are adapted totravel, an electric lampmounted atthe. front end of the locomotive body and constituting 9.1 5 headlight: therefor, said lamp having one of its terminals "grounded to-the locomotive body, a metallic battery holder carried by the tender and grouhdedthrough the tenderbody, said battery holder :being adapted to receive a battery cell and being in contact with one ofthe thereof, a singleconductor wire connected at one metal vehicles; an electrical'lamp carried by the.

front end of onevehicl as a headlight therefor, a battery cell mounted in the other vehicle and having one'terminal in conductive relationto the bodies of bbth'vehicles and to one terminal of the lamp, iand conductor means electrically conthe "40A wheeled toy, adapted to travel on a metal track; including a 'pair of coupled metal vehicles, an electrical lamp carried by one vehicle as a headlight therefon a: battery cell mounted in the other vehicle, and having one terminal in conductive. relation to 'the ."metal body. thereof, and a singlefiexible insulated conductorwire connected atone end to one terminal of the lamp to one terminal 01' the lamp, and conductor means electrically connecting the other terminal of the lamp with the other terminal of the battery.

6. A wheeled top including a. plurality of con- 5 ductively coupled metal vehicles, battery dry-cell holding means in one of the vehicles and in con ductive relation thereto, a battery dry-cell held in operative position by said battery holding means and having one terminal in conductive relation thereto, an electrical lamp carried by another of the vehicles and having one terminal in conductive relation thereto, and means for electrically connecting the other terminal of the lamp with the other terminal of the battery.

EARL D. BOISSELIER. 

